How to Kill, Control & Prevent Chinch Bugs

If your grass looks parched and dead despite your best efforts, this elusive pest could be the cause.

If you live in the South, those patches of yellow or brown grass in your lawn could just be a result of the summer heat—or it might be chinch bugs. These tiny pests can do a number on your grass, so it's best to keep an eye out and tackle them quickly before they can multiply and destroy your lawn. Let's take a look at how to identify and get rid of chinch bugs.

What Chinch Bugs Look Like

Chinch bugs are easy to recognize but hard to see. They're tiny and like to hide out in the thatch in your lawn. Here's how to identify chinch bugs:

Adults are about ⅕-inch long with black bodies and white wings folded across their backs.
Nymphs can start out as orange, orangish-brown or red and darken as they grow to eventually becoming black as they reach maturity.
Chinch bugs mature in about 4 to 6 weeks.
Adults have telltale white markings across their bodies.

To Chinch Bugs, Your Lawn Is Dinner

You do everything right. You water your lawn regularly. You feed it when you're supposed to. Yet, here and there, you have what looks like drought damage. If you live in the south, you could be entertaining a whole troop of chinch bugs.

Chinch bugs feed on many kinds of lawn grasses, but St. Augustine grass, Zoysiagrass, Kentucky bluegrass and fescues are their favorites. These nasty little critters suck your grass blades dry then inject a poison that kills each one. They can kill patches or, in the case of heavy infestations, your entire lawn. They can move across an entire lawn in just several days. The only good news is that these sun- and heat-loving insects seldom attack shady lawns.

Prevention and Maintenance

Identify Chinch Bugs

Chinch bugs don't exactly tap you on the shoulder and introduce themselves. These pests are small and like to hide out under the thatch in your grass, so you have to look for them. If you don't see them when you get down on your hands and knees in your lawn, try the tin can method:

Cut out both ends of a tin can, making a tube.
Push one end of your tube into the ground.
Pour water into the can and keep it filled for 10 minutes.

If you have chinch bugs, they'll start floating up to the surface. You may also see chinch-bug nymphs, which range from orangish to red and have a white stripe across their midsection.

Recognize Chinch Bug Damage

Grass attacked by chinch bugs looks like grass suffering from drought. Along your driveway and sidewalks, your grass blades wilt, turn yellow-brown, then dry out and die. This happens in sunny areas, so if your dead grass is in the shade for most of the day, you'll need to investigate other causes. If you've checked for chinch bugs and are still not sure you have them, call a professional.

Kill and Prevent Chinch Bugs

If you know you have chinch bugs, you can control them by treating your lawn with Ortho® Bugclear™ Lawn Insect Killer1. The formula kills chinch bugs and other listed insects by contact, above and below the soil, and creates a bug barrier in your lawn for 3 months. Granules can be applied to your lawn, around your foundation, and on flower and vegetable gardens (on listed vegetables). Be sure to follow all label instructions.

Getting rid of these pests is just step one to tackling them. To keep chinch bugs from coming back, keep up with your lawn maintenance. Regular feedings provide the nutrients your lawn and gardens need to grow strong to better protect themselves from insect damage. Water plants and your lawn regularly as stressed plants are more susceptible to insect damage.

That's how to identify and tackle chinch bugs. Don't let this little pest destroy your lawn. With a little knowhow, you can reclaim your lawn and get back to enjoying the outdoors.